Today, we speak with Billee Howard and talk about the shifting role of creativity. We used to think of it as an area of the building (creative floor) or a group of people (art department), but creativity is changing the conversation. Allison & Partners recently conducted a study on this and spoke with hundreds of C-Level executives. Today, we speak with Billee Howard on how creativity is permeating everything we do. It is a really fascinating study and you will look at creativity differently. Billee reveals why this is a paradigm shift, which only has an upside for your brand, agency or business.

Bio:
Billee Howard, Creative Development Officer (CDO) and Managing Director of Allison & Partners’ Brand Innovation Group (BIG), has more than 15 years’ experience in brand development, strategic media relations, CEO brand-building, corporate positioning, business-to-business strategy development, and economic and investment promotion. As CDO, Billee works to help define the spheres of influence driving modern-day brand experience and encourage the non-linear thinking required for truly innovative communications. She also oversees the creative direction of the Allison & Partners brand and work closely with client teams to develop new and creative approaches to public relations. Under Billee’s direction, BIG operates in a lab-type environment which provides creative direction, strategic media innovation, brand development and corporate trend spotting to clients across all practice areas and geographies. One of the guiding mantras of the new unit is to assist leading companies in going from ‘good’ to ‘great.’ Prior to joining Allison & Partners Billee served as Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Weber Shandwick’s Global Strategic Media Group, where she worked with brands such as Pepsi, Samsung and DreamWorks Animation, providing strategic counsel and direction on brand building, trendspotting and global media strategy. Prior to joining Weber Shandwick, she served as the U.S. press secretary for H.E. President Fidel V. Ramos. Billee is a winner of PR Week’s ’30 Under 30′ and ’40 Under 40′, and has also won the PR News ‘Media Professional of the Year’ honor twice in the last decade. She is also a co-leader of the American Cancer Society’s Young Professionals Committee, and a member of the National Association of Female Executives. Billee is a cum laude graduate of the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College.